Program Description

Entrance Requirements: Students with undergraduate degrees in the sciences (chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, chemical engineering, nutrition, food science, etc.) generally have already taken the prerequisite courses for our first year graduate-level classes. If you have a non-science background and are interested in food science, before applying you should take courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, physics, statistics, and calculus. Students interested in nutrition should take courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, physiology, and statistics before applying.; Minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0); GRE examination; three letters of reference; statement of professional interest; Student from non-English speaking countries should submit TOEFL/IELTS scores with their application materials; Must find a faculty member willing to train them and serve as their major professor before they can be accepted into the Department.

Degree Requirements: For the on-campus M.S. program (in Urbana-Champaign), the requirements include a thesis and 32 semester hours with 24 semester hours of course work. The Ph.D. requirements include 96 semester hours (at least 48 must be coursework) or 64 if the student has a M.S. degree (that is, a degree comparable to a M.S. from an U.S. university) and a dissertation. Ph.D. candidates must pass: 1) a qualifying exam, 2) a preliminary exam (thesis proposal defense) and, 3) a final exam (thesis research defense). Graduate students are required to take a program of courses determined primarily by their advisor, but ultimately approved by their thesis committee.

Financial Aid: Research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships are available on a competitive basis.

Unique Aspects of Program: As a FSHN student, you will have access to excellent research facilities including fully equipped chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry and molecular biology laboratories; state-of-the-art animal facilities; support for clinical studies; a food-processing pilot plant complex; a specialized soybean-processing plant; a bioprocessing/fermentation pilot plant; a sensory science lab; and a packaging laboratory. Teaching and research laboratories contain sophisticated analytical equipment, including GC/MS, HPLC/MS, NMR, a supercritical fluid chromatograph, a differential scanning calorimeter, high power ultrasound equipment, cobalt-60 irradiator, and texture analysis equipment. You can also explore many diverse interests at the third largest academic library in the country.

ONLINE Food Science M.S. Program
The University of Illinois Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) department is also proud to offer an online Master of Science degree in food science. All required lecture-based courses are delivered in live synchronous online sessions, using virtual classroom technology. Many of our students are working professionals who are pursuing a Master of Science degree in food science on a part-time basis. The online delivery option makes the program accessible to students in various locations who may also be balancing a travel schedule for their careers, professional growth and personal satisfaction.

The program offers one to three courses each semester, including summer. A full list of courses is available on the program website listed below. Courses cover topics such as food chemistry, food microbiology, food engineering, food packaging, human nutrition, sensory evaluation, water activity, experimental design, sanitation, biochemistry, and fermented and distilled beverages.

The off-campus Food Science MS degree program was created in 1973 and hundreds of students have obtained their MS degrees through the program.

S. Schmidt, Ph.D., Professor; Research Interest - Food chemistry: characterization of water and solids mobility, typically using water activity, isotherms, glass transition temperature and NMR, in food materials and their relationship to the physical, chemical, and microbial stability of food systems.